Electric minivans will be built in China.

BMW, owner of the Mini, said it had signed an outline agreement with Chinese manufacturer Great Wall.

Cars made under the partnership will be used in the Chinese market.

The deal will not affect BMW’s plans announced last year to assemble the first electric mini-sedan in Oxford from 2019. These cars will be made in Germany.

BMW and Great Wall still need to figure out exactly where their production lines are and how much they will invest.

The Chinese government has set a target of 20 per cent of cars sold by 2025 should be electric or rechargeable hybrid vehicles.

That has spurred all carmakers to invest more in China.

BMW has set up a joint venture with brilliance auto to build a BMW brand in China.

In addition to the two factories that assemble cars, the joint venture also has an engine plant, including a battery factory.

Last year, BMW sold 560,000 cars in China, more than double the total sales of its two big markets, the U.S. and Germany.

The BBC business journalists Theo Leggett

BMW is an ambitious company. It wants to expand, and hope that in the rapid growth of the electric car market occupy a larger share.

Scored highly in both areas, China – many consumers and the government’s policy is also very favour electric cars.

BMW thinks, in order to make full use of, it needs a local production base.

So the left Mini British factories? At least at first, the Chinese factory will production vehicles for China market.

Where cars will be built in Oxford in 2019 electric mini cars, and BMW insists that the mini brand expansion in the world and do not question his commitment to the UK.

But this news to the government may signal another – even without the Mini can survive, if the British to take off the person feels uncomfortable, it will be found in other parts of the production environment.